Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE – Lakeland Christian Academy celebrated the completion of its new addition of its Winona Lake campus Saturday with a ribbon-cutting with the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce.
The new addition will be the dedicated home for the Early Learning Academy through third grade.
Superintendent Joe Elrod said Saturday was an exciting morning.
“Today is a historic day in the life of Lakeland Christian Academy. For decades, Christian education in our community has been shaped by a shared vision that reaches back generations. United Christian education in the community has been around for decades,” Elrod said, adding the first reference he found of bringing LCA and Warsaw Christian School together dated back to 1988. “So what was once a dream by a few has become a reality for many. LCA and Warsaw Christian merged in 2020 and today for the first time, this building stands as a memorial of unity. One school and one campus.
“As meaningful as this building is, what excites me most is not just what happens today, but what will happen here in the years to come. Students will learn, worship, grow in their faith, discover their gifts, form lifelong friendships and be equipped to serve Christ in every sphere of their life. Generations of students will walk these halls and their lives will be changed because God provided this place. They will know Jesus because of LCA,” he said.
Elrod said as he continues to reflect, he is reminded of Psalms 126:2-3: “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy. Then they said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.'” He said the Lord has done great things for LCA over several decades.
“We give God all the glory, all the honor and praise for His abundant wisdom and provisions. But as we all know, God works through people,” Elrod said. He thanked the LCA Board of Directors, the planning committees, LCA Board Vice President Lindsay Gergely, Director of Advancement and Admissions Andrea Boyer and LCA Construction Project Coordinator Dan Woods.
Gergely said it’s hard not to be overwhelmed with gratitude “when you’re standing up here and seeing everyone here.” She thought everyone should pause because “we made it. We have a building that we get to go in to.”
She said she’s been told by people the construction of the new addition happened fast. However, she said for those on the board of directors and been involved in the construction, it hasn’t been that fast.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in May 2025 for the two-story addition totaling about 30,000 square feet of educational space with an estimated cost of $7.7 million.
“I know our board prayed about it, we fasted over making decisions,” she said, adding they sat down with multiple doners for conversations.
She said she’s been fortunate her youngest two children have been able to be part of the process. Seeing pictures of the two children running through the halls and laughing and coming home talking about the fruits of the Spirit, “this is our why. That is exactly why we built this, so everybody is together. So thank you for that.”
She said this is more than just a building, it’s about celebrating God’s faithfulness and the countless people He has used to get LCA to that point. She said it’s more than a building project, it’s an investment in generations of students who will grow academically and in their faith.
She said she has seen first hand the generosity, vision and commitment that made Saturday happen. She thanked the donors and DJ Construction. She also thanked the K21 Health Foundation, the Dekko Foundation, Zimmer Bioment, the Early Learning Initiative and the Kosciusko County Community Foundation for the grants they awarded LCA. She also thanked LCA parents and families.
“Today, we celebrate a beautiful building, but even more importantly, we celebrate what is going to happen inside. We celebrate the students who will discover their God-given gifts, the teachers who are going to faithfully invest in them and all the generations whose lives will be impacted,” Gergely said.
Boyer said she has had the privilege of working on the building campaign with a lot of incredible people and having a front-row seat to see what God has been doing at LCA.
“This moment is the rest of God’s faithfulness and generosity, prayers and dedication of so many people. We are incredibly thankful for everyone who has played a part in brining this vision to life and we are grateful for each of you who are here to celebrate with us. We are excited to officially dedicate this space to the work God has called LCA to do for many years to come,” Boyer said.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, where everyone in attendance was asked to cut a piece of the ribbon, there were tours of the new addition.
